Northam took nearly 55 percent of the vote over former White House and Virginia technology chief Aneesh Chopra in a statewide primary Tuesday where less than 3 percent of the state's 5.2 million registered voters cast ballots.

Northam now faces Republican E.W. Jackson of Chesapeake in the Nov. 5 election.

In the only other statewide race, state Sen. Mark Herring defeated first-time candidate Justin Fairfax in the Democratic attorney general primary with nearly 52 percent of the vote.

Senior Republican Dels. Joe May and Beverly Sherwood lost to conservative challengers, while House Speaker Bill Howell easily defeated a Republican rival.